Toasts with curd cheese, radish and chives Recipe
Toasts with curd cheese, radish and chives are a springtime twist on the classic Polish open sandwich with white cheese, served on warm, crisp bread. Cold, creamy curd contrasts with the hot slice and the sharp crunch of radish. The simple ingredient list lets you use up any bread from the bread bin and plain curd cheese from the fridge.
This is a variation on a popular Polish breakfast of white cheese, radish and chives that appears as soon as the first spring vegetables hit shops and markets.
It’s a way to turn very simple ingredients into a sandwich that tastes like it came from a small bistro. The toasts make the most of spring vegetables without needing any fancy extras. By toasting the bread, even yesterday’s loaf regains crunch and character.
Why this version works
- The contrast between warm bread and cold curd spread gives a bakery-style effect.
- Curd loosened only with cream holds well on the toasts.
- Radish sliced just before serving stays crunchy.
Chef's tips
If you’re using very fresh, ‘wet’ curd, add the cream one spoonful at a time, otherwise the mixture will become runny and soak into the bread., After toasting, lift one slice – the bottom should be firm and dry, not rubbery., Radishes sliced on a dull board release white juice that thins the cheese, so it’s worth using a sharp knife and a dry board.
How to serve
For breakfast, serve the toasts with a mug of coffee with milk, kefir or buttermilk and a small bowl of extra chives for sprinkling., For a get-together with friends, make mini toasts from a baguette and serve on a large board with lightly pickled cucumbers and cherry tomatoes., It’s also a quick after-work supper when you only have curd and a few spring vegetables in the fridge.
Watch out for
- Don’t toast the bread too dark – very dark edges become hard once cooled.
- Don’t add too much salt to the curd at once; the flavour intensifies after a while.
- Don’t spread the cheese on completely cold bread if you want that hot–cold contrast.
Substitutions
- You can replace the sour cream with thick Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
- Instead of curd cheese, use well-drained ricotta or full-fat cottage cheese.
- Swap chives for spring onion or parsley.
- Butter for the bread can be replaced with olive oil for a more Mediterranean flavour.
Ingredients
- wheat or wholegrain bread - 6 slice
- semi-fat curd cheese - 200 g
- sour cream or natural yogurt 12% or natural yogurt - 2 tablespoon
- radishes - 6 piece
- chives - 0.5 bunch
- butter - 20 g
- salt and pepper
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat) or heat a dry frying pan over medium heat until clearly hot but not smoking. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place on a baking tray butter-side up and bake for 7–10 minutes, until the edges are golden and crisp and the centre is springy. In a pan, toast for 2–3 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
- While the bread is toasting, transfer the curd cheese to a bowl, add the sour cream or yogurt, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until most lumps disappear and you get a thick, creamy spread that doesn’t run off the spoon.
- If the curd is dry and crumbly, add another teaspoon of cream and mix again. The mixture should spread easily but hold its shape on the slice.
- Wash the radishes thoroughly, trim the ends and dry on a paper towel so they don’t add water to the curd. Cut into very thin slices or small dice – they should stay firm and crunchy.
- Rinse the chives, dry well and finely chop. Set aside 1–2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top, and add the rest to the bowl with the curd, mixing to a uniform spread.
- Taste the cheese and season with salt and freshly ground pepper so the flavour is distinct but still delicate. Taste again after 2–3 minutes, as the salt intensifies slightly over time.
- When the bread is hot with clearly crisp edges, remove it from the oven or pan. Immediately put a portion of the curd spread on each slice and smooth it into an even, not too thin layer.
- Arrange the radish slices on top, slightly overlapping, and sprinkle with the reserved chives. Serve at once, before the bread softens from the moisture of the cheese and vegetables.
Storage
Store the curd spread in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container – it thickens and mellows in flavour over time, so before serving you can add a teaspoon of cream. Always toast the bread fresh; if it cools down, briefly re-toast it and only then add the cold cheese.
I love these toasts most on still-warm bread from a homemade loaf tin – the crust crackles so loudly that someone in the kitchen always calls out: “what’s crunching so much in there?”
